In Mario Party DS, Bowser shrinks the Mario crew, including Wario and Waluigi, to the size of ants so they can't get in the way of his plans of collecting power crystals. Of course, each character wants to be the first to return back to normal size and beat down Bowser, so the race is on to be the best competitor.

With 70 minigames, six modes and eight characters, Mario Party isn't short on gameplay. Players can go through the party in story mode or compete with other players or the computerized opponents in Party Mode. Levels include a backyard garden with its share of killer plants in addition to the normal traps and player hexes that come as part of the Mario Party experience.

During our play session, Characters rolled and moved across a giant game board, collecting coins, power-ups and starting up minigames. Minigames make full use of the DS's capabilities, ranging from drawing puzzles using the stylus to ones that use the built-in mic. We played one where two characters hanging onto opposite sides of a coat hanger slide down a rail. Characters need to shift their weight around to tilt the hanger and avoid obstacles while racing to the finish line. Another game had us competing to draw parts of a larger puzzle. Some of the game instructions are a little vague, but thankfully there's a practice mode in the single player for players to get the hang of things before actually competing.

Unfortunately, the graphics look somewhat washed out on the DS, which can ruin the good time. However, wireless four player multiplayer off a single cartridge could help make up for that shortcoming. This is definitely an experience that needs to be shared with friends, because even though the idea of single player is cool, it feels a little silly shouting into the DS for the sake of solo action.

We also hope that the final release will have some way of speeding up the game, instead of forcing players to watch every move. With that said, the game is fun, and those who are a little less inhibited should love the fact that they can finally take this Mario Party on the road.